A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 398 I was just using your magic against you, and you can't stand it?

There were too many participants in the "Slacking Off Fish" contest.

The atmosphere on the scene was very lively.

The surrounding area was extremely crowded with people.

"You're a jerk."

Wang Qixiong shoved the old soldier who had been pushed over.

Before the old soldier could speak, another round of punches and kicks came, knocking him to the ground, where he continued to stomp his feet.

I wanted to vent all the anger in my heart.

Coming to his senses, Wang Yufeng quickly grabbed Wang Qixiong's arm:

"Big brother, what are you doing?"

"You bastard, you have no eyes! You dare to get involved with me despite your stench."

"That Song Zhuangyuan is something else. I'm willing to spend money, so why can't I go up to that decorated pavilion?"

Wang Qixiong's anger remained unabated.

As a relative by marriage of the Empress Dowager, where wouldn't they have special privileges?
I finally managed to go back to Beijing with my father to visit relatives, and I happened to witness a lively event.

But Song Xuan didn't give him any face at all!
Wang Yufeng was taken aback for a moment after hearing his elder brother's words.

No matter how awesome our family is, we're not as awesome as the Liu brothers, Liu Congde and Liu Congguang!

When people encountered the top scholar Song, they were even more polite and courteous.

Now that they've set the framework, we have to abide by it.

Moreover, the places with decorated tents are usually occupied by suppliers who have paid for them, as well as officials; there are very few seats available.

We only spent ten coins on tickets; we didn't receive any special treatment.

"Brother, let's not cause any unnecessary trouble."

Wang Yufeng quickly took out a gold leaf, intending to compensate the old soldier lying on the ground, and that would be the end of the matter.

"What money are you going to give him? Get him out of here."

Wang Qixiong was already seething with anger, and seeing his younger brother become so spineless only fueled his rage.

But Wang Yufeng was completely terrified.

Because he discovered that the old soldier was dead.

Moreover, some ragged soldiers from the local militia have already arrived.

"Old Ding?"

The soldiers exchanged glances, and immediately two of them left, then looked at them.

"What are you looking at?"

Wang Qixiong pointed at them and shouted angrily:
"If you look again, I'll gouge your eyes out!"

Wang Yufeng stood up, his expression quite unpleasant.

If his elder brother fell into the hands of Scholar Song, he would likely suffer no good.

"Brother, the man is dead."

Hearing his younger brother's whispered words, Wang Qixiong remained indifferent:
"His death is none of my business."

Upon hearing that they were dead, the remaining soldiers kept a close eye on the two men before them, lest they escape.

It's perfectly normal for Wang Qixiong to be so arrogant.

The main problem was Liu E's arrogance and indulgence.

Even though the current emperor Zhao Zhen is young, Liu E holds supreme power.

But she really has a hard time finding people who are truly loyal to her.

In the traditional imperial system, most officials would not hesitate to pledge allegiance to the emperor.

Furthermore, given the example set by Empress Wu Zetian of the previous dynasty, even if some clueless officials were loyal to Liu E, it was only for opportunistic purposes.

Who would actually stay with her all the way to the end?
Therefore, Liu E had no choice but to follow the old path of empress dowagers ruling from behind the curtain and making heavy use of eunuchs and relatives of the empress.

Therefore, Yang Huaimin, Luo Chongxun, Jiang Deming, and other eunuchs and their relatives and confidants were acting like foxes borrowing the tiger's power, arrogant and domineering, and their influence was overwhelming both at home and abroad.

For people like them to profit by using official boats to carry private goods, and for the local governments along the way not daring to inspect them, that's a minor matter.

Forcibly seizing government land and encroaching on mineral resources are standard operating procedures.

Moreover, when this group clashed with the civil and military officials, Liu E naturally trusted their words and sided with them.

This has led to these people becoming increasingly rampant.

Liu Congde used various methods to embezzle Song Dynasty funds and also engaged in many acts of bullying and oppression.

However, he has become much more restrained since meeting Song Xuan.

Because he was bullied and too ashamed to speak out, Empress Liu did not help him and directly kicked Song Xuan out of the capital.

Not to mention that Song Xuan is still useful to Liu E now.

Wang Qixiong had accompanied his father to serve as an official in another region, and happened to return to the capital to report on his mission, where he encountered this grand event.

That means Ma Jiliang was dealt with.

Therefore, this vacancy cannot be taken by someone else.

Liu E immediately recalled her own people to fill the gaps.

It can be said that since Empress Liu began ruling from behind the curtain, she had been determined to seize control of the country.

She maintained a high degree of vigilance towards officials in both governments and was very careful to suppress their growing power.

Not long after Liu E ascended to the throne, she cried and told her ministers that the country had suffered a great calamity. If it weren't for the concerted efforts of all the ministers, how could the country be in this situation today?

Now that the matter of the mausoleum is over, everyone has received their reward, except for the relatives of the high officials who have not enjoyed any of the benefits.

Therefore, you may present the names of your relatives, both inside and outside the family, and I will extend my grace upon them all.

In this way, Liu E obtained their circle of friends and relationships.

Empress Liu compiled all these people's names into a chart and hung it on the wall of her palace.

Whenever she was preparing to promote officials, she would first look at the charts, and she would not promote any of them who were relatives of the prime ministers.

In this way, after rounds of cleaning...

By continuously weakening the power of these people in the court, Empress Liu was able to use her authority as Empress Dowager to suppress the power of these ministers and achieve a temporary victory.

However, the civil service group has not yielded to this day, and Empress Liu has not given them much of a chance to fight back.

It's perfectly normal for Wang Qixiong to be arrogant because he knows his father has been promoted.

Compared to his elder brother's arrogance, Wang Yufeng had experienced Song Xuan's iron fist.

Our family is probably not enough to compete with him.

"father."

Ding Dalang was also a soldier in the local army. He had to plead for his father to come and maintain order because of the good treatment he received from Song Zhuangyuan.

Who would have thought something like this would happen?

"Dad, wake up!"

Ding Dalang's tears came out.

He never imagined that the opportunity he had begged for would lead to his own father's death.

"He's the one who hit me."

Ding Dalang raised his head, his eyes filled with hatred.

"We'll pay the compensation," Wang Yufeng quickly said.

"This was an accident!"

He quickly took out the few gold leaves he had prepared as bets and placed them in Ding Dalang's hand:
"We'll use this money to pay for your father's funeral first, and then we'll compensate you later."

Ding Dalang looked at the gold in his hand and the scars on his father's face, and hesitated for a moment.

After all, this amount of money was something he could never earn in his entire life as a soldier.

The other soldiers in the garrison also never expected this man to be so generous.

Before Ding Dalang could think any further, he was kicked over by Wang Qixiong.

"You dog-like thing, I think your dad is just trying to extort money from you on purpose."

"Second brother, what money did you give him?"

"We've all been set up, don't you understand?"

"Is someone who can die from just a few hits a normal person?"

Ding Dalang stood up, pointing angrily at him: "How dare you!"

"Hmph, you have guts?" Wang Qixiong reached out his hand:

“My father is Wang Mengzheng. It’s an honor for your father to let me hit him a couple of times. Don’t be ungrateful.”

"you!"

Anger flashed in Ding Dalang's eyes.

Others, however, were somewhat surprised and uncertain:
"Wang Mengzheng?"

Wang Qixiong was quite willing to reveal his father's name, just look at how these people's expressions changed.

"My father is related to the eldest aunt by marriage."

Upon hearing this, Ding Dalang's eyes immediately showed a look of fear.

Who would dare offend the Empress Dowager's in-laws!
Seeing him in a daze, Wang Qixiong snatched back the gold leaf his younger brother had given him:

"You fool, you're at least somewhat sensible. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been in any trouble even if I killed your whole family."

Ding Dalang was completely terrified. His father had died in vain?

They'll also get into a lawsuit that could ruin their whole family!
Several of the soldiers who wanted to help control the situation also had fawning or terrified looks on their faces.

Who can afford to offend the Empress Dowager's in-laws?
What's more, we're all convicts, just freeloaders in the local militia.

Who can take this seriously?

The people around who were watching him slack off also tried to keep their distance.

Nobody wants to mess with this kind of person.

They didn't even dare to insult or verbally abuse someone to their face, for fear of getting into trouble.

Wang Qixiong was very satisfied with the way these people looked at him. He glanced at Ding Dalang:
"Kneel down and kowtow three times to me, and I'll let this matter drop if you dirty my hands."

"you."

Ding Dalang's eyes were bloodshot; he had never seen anyone so humiliating!
The soldier standing nearby quickly spoke up:

"Brother, a wise man doesn't suffer a loss he can avoid."

"Yes."

"I heard that the great Confucian scholar Zhong Fang's nephew, Zhong Shen, was a prefectural magistrate, but his father exiled him. I heard he's about to lose his life."

Ding Dalang clenched his fists, wishing he could rush forward.

But what about the lives of the whole family?

"Brother, let it go. It's better to be lenient when you can."

Wang Yufeng hurriedly pulled his elder brother Wang Qixiong back, telling him not to go too far.

It's not like our family is short of money.

If this gets out of hand, it won't do us any good!
"Don't worry."

Wang Qixiong couldn't stand his younger brother's cowardly attempt to avoid trouble.

When did our Wang family become so weak and easily bullied?

Making a scoundrel like him kneel down and kowtow to admit his mistakes is the greatest blessing he has ever received.

Ding Dalang looked at his dead father lying on the ground, heard the advice from his colleagues, and faced the aggressive and powerful figure in front of him whom he could not afford to offend.

He slumped his head, hunched his shoulders, and knelt down on one leg.

"Big brother, big."

A look of shame appeared in Wang Yufeng's eyes: "My lord."

Song Xuan stood in front of Ding Dalang:
"There's no need for such a grand ceremony when you see me."

"Master Song".

Ding Dalang looked up and saw Song Xuan arrive, his face showing great astonishment.

He had assumed that the first to arrive would be the captain.

"what happened?"

“My lord, he beat my father to death and then demanded that I kneel down and kowtow to him to apologize. That would dirty his hands.”

Hearing this, Song Xuan was speechless.

Today is the first day of the "Slacking Off" competition, and someone dares to put on an intense show for themselves, right?

If someone is hit twice, there's still room for maneuver in this matter.

The result was not only that he was beaten to death, but also that he was subjected to this kind of public humiliation?

They've all been spoiled by the peaceful environment of the Song Dynasty!
Song Xuan turned his head to look at the man next to Wang Yufeng, who did resemble him somewhat.

"Your brother?"

“Scholar Song, this person is indeed my elder brother, Wang Qixiong.”

Wang Yufeng bowed with his hands covering his face, not daring to meet Song Xuan's gaze.

"Who are you?" Wang Qixiong sneered, "You dare to question my brother?"

Song Xuan scoffed, "I am Song Xuan, the magistrate of Kaifeng."

"He's just a lowly seventh-rank official." Wang Qixiong sneered disdainfully.
"You dare to act like an official in front of me?"

Song Xuan didn't care about his verbal attacks:
"Did you kill this person?"

"So what if it is?"

Wang Qixiong stared intently at Song Xuan.

Since he knows his younger brother, he should know the strength of his family.

"Guards, take him away."

Song Xuan didn't want to cause any trouble here and affect his money-making plans.

"Let's see who dares!" Wang Qixiong shouted, pointing at Song Xuan.
"Whether I go with you or not, do you know who my father is?"

"hehe."

The smile on Song Xuan's face vanished instantly.
"Guards, take this murderer away and lock him in the county jail. No one is allowed to visit him."

Ding Dalang's face showed disbelief.

That Master Song actually dared to take him away!
The other soldiers in the garrison also looked as if they had seen a ghost.

"Which of you dares?"

Wang Qixiong directly attacked two guards, but Xu Xianchun stopped Wang Bao, who wanted to beat Wang Qixiong up.

He could tell that Song Xuan wanted to take action himself.

Sure enough, Wang Qixiong thought he was awesome and shook off the two guards, and even wanted to go up and cause trouble for Song Xuan.

“Hey Song, let me teach you how to be an official.”

"Brother, you mustn't."

Wang Yufeng quickly stopped him.

But then Song Xuan punched Wang Qixiong so hard that he saw stars.

Blood immediately streamed from his nose, as if a soy sauce shop had been opened, with salty, sour, and spicy flavors all gushing out in the pain.

Not satisfied, Song Xuan took off his gold belt, folded it in his hand, and used it as a whip, lashing Wang Qixiong's face once and twice.

Leaving behind marks.

"You damned scoundrel, how dare you attack me! You're asking for death!"

Wang Qixiong could no longer stand and fell straight to the ground.

He was no longer able to think about why he was beaten; his head was buzzing as images of his past half-life kept flashing through his mind.

When the people around saw Song Zhuangyuan's appearance, their mouths were agape, as if they were about to fall to the ground.

"My lord, spare my elder brother's life!"

Wang Yufeng quickly shielded his elder brother with his own body, fearing that if the fight continued, his brother would suffer the same fate as the old soldier he had killed.

Xu Xianchun gave Wang Bao a look, and Wang Bao immediately pulled Wang Yufeng away. Xu Xianchun then helped Wang Qixiong up, making it easier for Song Xuan to draw his weapon.

Just then, Pan Chengjin managed to push through many people before leading his team to this location.

He noticed the bloodstains on Song Xuan's gold belt, the dead subordinate lying on the ground, and another person who had just been thrown away, lying on the ground, panting listlessly.

Pan Cheng couldn't tell for a moment who the real murderer was.

Song Xuan calmly fastened his gold belt, without even wiping away the bloodstains, and said to Ding Dalang, who was kneeling before his old man's corpse:

“This murder case occurred under my jurisdiction, and the murderer dared to cause trouble at the fishing competition I organized. No matter who his father is, I will definitely give you an explanation.”

“Now all of you eyewitnesses will come with me back to tell the story of the case. As for today’s wages, they will be paid as usual.”

"Yes."

"Thank you, sir, for redressing my father's grievances."

Ding Dalang bowed deeply to Song Xuan.

"The top scholar of the Song Dynasty?"

Pan Chengjin quickly asked, "What exactly happened?"

"You just need to continue maintaining order here; the rest is none of your business."

Song Xuan summoned the yamen runners to lock Wang Qixiong up and take him to the county yamen.

"Wang Yufeng, go back and tell your father, so he doesn't not know what happened."

"My lord, I really tried to persuade him." Wang Yufeng's face showed anxiety.
"My older brother is too impulsive."

"I know that when something like this happens, someone will always pay the price for their impulsiveness."

Song Xuan smiled and said, "You are you, and your brother is your brother. It won't affect our friendship."

Wang Yufeng nodded, and then left.

His father must be informed of this matter no matter what.

Ding Dalang is still in shock.

For his sake, Master Song almost killed the Empress's in-laws in the same way?
Several soldiers from the garrison also looked puzzled.

I never expected that Master Song would be so disrespectful to the "madam's in-laws".

But it felt so much fun!

The onlookers were all dumbfounded, never expecting that Master Song's fists and feet were so formidable.

They were drinking soy milk when suddenly a commotion broke out. Xiaofeng was the first to arrive at the scene to see what was going on.

Unlike others who would avoid him, he wasn't afraid at all.

Then I saw a whole bunch of things.

Xiao Feng watched as Song Xuan walked away without any fear, even though he had almost beaten the Empress Dowager's in-laws to death.

Are they really that audacious?

Xiaofeng subconsciously swallowed.

Looking back now, Song Wenwen's actions when he was young were indeed ruthless.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get everyone to listen to him.

The main reason was that his appearance was too deceptive back then.

Looking at Song Xuan's dashing figure, Xiao Feng realized that his current appearance was quite deceptive.

"What happened?"

After the cave master returned, he saw Xiaofeng's meddlesome appearance.

Ultimately, he lacks composure.

Unlike them, almost none of them moved at all.

Even if Song Xuan walked right past them, he certainly wouldn't notice anything unusual about them.

"I heard he's related to the Empress Dowager by marriage. That guy surnamed Wang killed some soldiers in the local militia, and the top scholar Song almost killed him too!"

After Xiaofeng finished speaking, the cave master of Wuyou Cave and the others felt that they had misheard.

Song Xuan has the right to be arrogant.

It hasn't been long since the last time Ma Jiliang was openly beaten in the imperial court.

Now, in the marketplace, they have once again publicly assaulted the empress's in-laws.

This isn't just slapping the Empress's in-laws; it's slapping the Empress in the face!

Cang Lin coughed:
"It seems he's really gotten himself into trouble this time."

"That would be great."

Akabane felt that Song Xuan was too young and arrogant.

Xiaofeng also felt that Song Xuan was too impulsive. Wouldn't that delay the progress of eliminating Wuyou Cave and making meritorious contributions?
"Cave Master, what is your opinion on this matter?"

The strategist Bai Zhen had also considered the consequences, which was a great joy for their Worry-Free Cave.

Song Xuan is too immature; he's still a young man.

The Empress Dowager tolerated you once, but that was in front of all the officials; you didn't even have a chance to defend Ma Jiliang.

But things are different now.

Neither the Empress Dowager nor the court officials saw it. Based solely on Song Xuan's words, according to convention, the Empress Dowager would certainly side with her in-laws.

"What do you think?"

Faced with the cave master's counter-question, the strategist Bai Zhen directly gave his conclusion:

"Song Xuan is finished!"

"almost."

The cave master of Wuyou Cave gave an affirmative answer.

The smiles on their faces grew wider and wider.

Song Xuan was dismissed from his post, or perhaps like Ma Jiliang, he was kicked out of the capital city of Tokyo.

As long as he's not in that position, it's a good thing for Wuyou Cave. Pan Cheng simply ordered people to maintain order while he went to report the matter to Attendant-in-Ordinary Cao.

After all, this person is Wang Mengzheng's eldest son.

Their family was also highly favored by the Empress Dowager.

Otherwise, after Ma Jiliang was kicked out of the capital, the Empress Dowager would not have directly sent Wang Mengzheng back to the capital as his replacement.

Cao Liyong was still carefully observing the Emperor's actions to prevent anyone from making any underhanded moves against him.

These commoners, in their quest to win, were incredibly ruthless.

The officials have already drunk several mouthfuls of river water.

Now that the incense ash on his face was washed away, mud was actually smeared on it.

Pan Cheng pulled Cao aside and whispered what had happened.

Cao Liyong knew that his son-in-law was skilled, otherwise he wouldn't have wanted to go to the Northwest to make a name for himself.

However, Cao Yongli never expected that his son-in-law would almost kill a person with some martial arts skills with a single punch.

"But he's a civil official!"

After hearing Cao Liyong's words, Pan Chengjin didn't understand why he had said that.
That's the Empress Dowager's relative by marriage, and this fight didn't happen right under her nose. Something bad is going to happen!

Even if the imperial court treated civil officials well, the foundation of the Song Dynasty's top scholar was still shallow.

and many more.

He was a civil official.

Pan Chengjin breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he had put himself in the shoes of the character.

Even if the top scholar of the Song Dynasty got into trouble, he would not be dismissed from his post or stripped of his academic honors; at most, he would be exiled.

Once the Empress Dowager passes away, she will likely return immediately to be given an important mission.

This is the worst possible outcome.

On the bright side, maybe it's like beating Ma Jiliang, nothing serious happened.

Anyway, since it was the Wang family's son who attacked and killed my man first, he has no grounds for complaint.

"You should go too."

Cao Liyong gave Pan Chengjin a word of advice, which brought him some relief:
“The dead are your men. You must immediately send men to protect your entire family.”

"Otherwise, they might not be able to withstand the pressure and might not file a complaint with the authorities, which would put us in a passive position."

"understood."

"Oh, right." Cao Liyong pulled him back as he tried to leave:

"You should go to the county government immediately, find out what happened, and then write an impeachment letter and send it to my Privy Council."

"Here."

Pan Chengjin left in a hurry again.

"how?"

Zhang Qi watched as Song Xuan left first, and then Pan Chengjin came to whisper to him.

Without a doubt, something must have happened.

With so many people coming to both banks of the Bian River today, it's quite normal for some disputes to arise.

It was crowded, but thankfully the weather wasn't too hot.

If you wait until noon, that's when the sun really gets unbearable.

“Something happened. Wang Mengzheng’s son killed a soldier from the local militia. Twelve went over to deal with it.”

"Wang Mengzheng's son!"

Zhang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly; he had heard that the Wang family acted extremely arrogantly.

Of course, the Zhang family has always kept a low profile to avoid conflicts with others.

After all, Zhang Qi was favored by both the emperor and empress.

He was well aware of the principle that a tall tree catches the wind, which is why he always kept a low profile, rarely made enemies, and was very kind.

Those civil officials wouldn't cause trouble for Zhang Qi; at most, they opposed his direct appointment as Privy Councilor.

Previously, there was only one Privy Councilor, but Empress Liu created an extra position for him.

"Yes, they're really outrageous. It's only the first day, and they dare to cause trouble for my son-in-law. How can he not die!"

Hearing Cao Liyong's curses, Zhang Qi sneered with his hands behind his back:
"If he runs into your son-in-law, he's probably doomed."

After all, he killed someone and wanted to escape the law; even the Empress Dowager couldn't easily exonerate him.

Cao was taken aback.

Actually, he didn't want his son-in-law to associate with these rotten people, lest it jeopardize his good son-in-law's future.

"is it?"

When it was Cao Yong's turn, he was somewhat incredulous.

In his view, the Empress Dowager would surely protect this person.

"Just wait and see."

Zhang Qi pointed to the pile of things in front of him:

"It goes without saying who is most important now, but we must be careful to avoid retaliation later."

Cao Liyong fell into deep thought.

It took Song Xuan and his men a great deal of effort to finally return to Kaifeng County.

After all, there were too many people involved; just the act of parading people through the streets attracted a large crowd.

Liu Congde wanted to go up and say hello, but Li Junyou stopped him.

"The person who was arrested is Wang Qixiong."

"what!"

Liu Congde never expected that his brother-in-law would be arrested by Song Xuan.

"How is this going?"

He had already instructed them not to provoke Song Xuan during this period.

Why can't they all listen to reason?
Liu Congde thought it was his brother-in-law who wanted to stand up for Ma Jiliang.

Li Junyou watched as the ragged soldiers of the Xiang Army carried an old man on their backs, their eyes filled with tears. He feared the old man was about to die.

"I'm afraid your brother-in-law is involved in a murder case."

"Impossible," Liu Congde retorted instinctively.
“Look how badly my brother-in-law got beaten up, his nose is almost crooked.”

After Liu Congde finished speaking, he wondered if Song Xuan had beaten him up.
Otherwise, who in the entire city of Tokyo would dare to lay a finger on him?

Seeing that Liu Congde had fallen silent, Li Junyou looked at him with some surprise.

Liu Congde naturally recalled some unpleasant memories, but also felt somewhat fortunate.

Because he discovered that Song Xuan was truly a formidable fighter.

His brother-in-law was skilled in martial arts; he could beat up three or five ordinary hooligans until they were screaming in pain.

"Let's go, let's follow them and see if you can say anything."

Li Junyou felt that the bustling activity in the Bian River at this moment was not something to behold.

He was eager to know how Song Xuan intended to deal with Wang Qixiong.

If things escalate to an unbearable point, it might embarrass the Empress Dowager.

If the Empress Dowager loses face, Song Xuan will inevitably suffer the backlash.

This is not what Li Junyou wanted to see.

Liu Congde was reluctant to go, but he didn't want to be looked down upon.

After all, he's my brother-in-law. It's understandable that he made a mistake.

So, under everyone's watchful eyes, they followed.

Until then.

The drumbeats sounded again, signaling that the incense was about to burn out.

Zhao Zhen held a large fish in each hand and finally put it into his bucket, using his body to firmly control it and prevent it from jumping out.

The others, feeling they had caught the big fish, along with many smaller fish, attempted to achieve victory.

The drumbeats subsided, and the gongs sounded.

A large number of people shouted to stop them, and anyone who dared to put fish into their bucket again would be eliminated on the spot.

Because Song Xuan enforced the rules strictly, the contestants were quick and efficient, and everyone felt they could win.

As everyone walked out one by one, Zhao Zhen wore a victorious smile.

Chen Xiliang felt the same way. He believed that although he couldn't match the weight of the fish, the prize for being the first fish would eventually fall on his head.

When Gao Jixun saw the official come out, he also had a smile on his face.

Nothing too serious has happened, so that's fine.

Zhao Zhen was extremely careful to protect his fish, not allowing anyone else to get close.

I proceeded cautiously to the weighing area.

Zhao Zhen tried to find his twelfth brother in the crowd, but couldn't.

With so many people going down into the river together, he must be patrolling constantly.

After Song Xuan entered the county government office, Qi Lecheng, who was guarding the gate, hurriedly came to greet him.

He was there just in case.

Many people went to help on the Bian River, but people were left to guard the prison and every official's office.

Many people remained at the treasury.

"My lord."

Qi Lecheng shouted, looking at the aggrieved party following behind him: "Do we need to hold a court session?"

"Yes, I need to finish the interrogation quickly so I can go back."

"Yes."

Qi Lecheng directly called over a few people who were guarding the treasury and the prison to make up the numbers.

Even if word is spread in advance and thieves who have sided with the county government are kept in the dark, various unexpected events are still inevitable.

Song Xuan sat down in the lobby and waited.

The perpetrator, Wang Qixiong, lay on the ground, supported by his arms. Although he was uncomfortable, he had not yet fully recovered.

The main reason was that Song Xuan's punch really stunned him.

When I fought him with the gold belt later, I didn't feel as much of a sensation.

The staff left behind in the prison cell ran over and sat down with great excitement.

This was the first time he had been in charge of recording the process of a case hearing; he had never had such an opportunity to gain experience before.

I thought it would be a pity not to go to the event.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be an opportunity!

Song Xuan sat in a chair, waiting for everyone to get ready.

Regardless, the proper procedures must be followed, otherwise it could easily lead to Wang Qixiong's case being overturned.

Therefore, Song Xuan can afford to wait this long.

Ding Dalang put his father down, and someone found him a mat. Out of respect for the dead, they covered him with a mat first.

"Go and call the coroner here. Let him examine the body first."

"Yes."

Coroner Yin Ze had planned to go out and join in the fun while it was warmer, and maybe even soak up some sun, but he was called over before he even got outside.

The sudden murder made him feel rather unlucky.

"My lord."

Yin Ze first bowed, then saw the dead man covered with a mat, and then looked at the criminal next to him who was beaten black and blue and locked up.

Could it be that the two fought each other, resulting in one death and one injury?
When he opened the mat, he saw an old man with few teeth and blood in his mouth.

Upon further examination, it was discovered that even the bones in front of the chest cavity were broken, suggesting that bone spurs there may have pierced the internal organs, causing massive bleeding and death.

After Liu Congde and Li Junyou arrived, they did not rush forward, but were instead restrained and brought to the floor below.

In Kaifeng County, people are allowed to observe trials, but they are not allowed to get close; there are designated areas for observation.

"My lord, this man died from a beating. The fatal injury was a fractured sternum, with a bone spur piercing his heart."

Song Xuan nodded. He noticed Liu Congde watching below and gestured for someone to record the coroner's remarks.

He walked down from the lobby and stood to the side: "The news came so fast, you want to plead for leniency?"

Liu Congde quickly waved his hand:
“Scholar Song, I don’t know anything about this. I just thought you looked familiar, so I came to see what happened.”

Li Junyou stood by and confirmed that this was indeed the case.

Song Xuan glanced at Liu Congde:
"Since it was a chance encounter, then when we're going to hear the case later, you should listen carefully to how outrageous his actions were."

"understand."

Once the people were almost all present, Song Xuan returned to the main seat and began the trial.

The case is actually quite simple.

In addition, there are witness testimonies on the side.

Liu Congde's face turned green upon hearing this; he hadn't expected his brother-in-law to go so far.

They beat someone's own father to death, and then demanded that the son kneel down and kowtow in apology.

Such a serious act, how could the top scholar Song not punish him?
If this gets out, will the law still be in effect in the Song Dynasty?
Are there still laws and regulations?
It's all turned to shit; if word gets out, our friendly nations will laugh at us.

Liu Congde asked himself honestly, he did like making money, but he had never intentionally killed anyone!
Of course, he later voluntarily returned the 100,000 strings of cash he had embezzled during the repair of the dike.

Li Junyou never expected Wang Qixiong to go so far.

Not only did he ignore the advice, he also dared to attack a Song Dynasty official!
Is someone without any official position out of their mind?

No wonder he was covered in injuries; he had been brutally beaten by the top scholar, Song.

You really don't know how the common people described the Song Dynasty's top scholar as extremely magnificent and whose name they didn't know.

What made Liu Congde even more guilty was that his brother-in-law had dared to attack Song Xuan.

My heart sank instantly.

Even if he wanted to save him, he knew that civilians could be pardoned for attacking officials.

That would be undermining the very foundation of the Song Dynasty.

Seeing that his brother-in-law had been sentenced to death, Liu Congde felt that he had no say in the matter and could not get involved.

Ding Dalang and many witnesses did not expect that the top scholar Song would not only stand up for him, but also sentence the empress's in-laws to death.

Song Xuan immediately sent someone to have Wang Qixiong sign the document.

After a short while, Wang Qixiong finally recovered. He looked at Song Xuan and shouted:
"I'm not convinced."

"He's deliberately trying to scam me out of money."

"I want to see the Empress Dowager!"

"Song Xuan, do you know who I am?"

“My father is Wang Mengzheng, and my brother-in-law is Liu Congde, the eldest aunt’s nephew.”

"You dare touch me!"

"They really don't know how to write the word 'death'."

Ding Dalang was so intimidated by Wang Qixiong's words that he didn't dare to raise his head.

After all, they really can't afford to offend these top-level powerful figures. With just a word from them, without even having to lift a finger, they can ruin your family.

Liu Congde, who was listening in the audience, wiped the sweat from his brow and gave an embarrassed, awkward smile in response to his brother-in-law's outrageous remarks.

He felt that he couldn't protect him at all in this matter.

Especially when he made outrageous remarks in front of Song Xuan, Liu Congde couldn't understand why he was still not convinced after being beaten to such a state.

Li Junyou, of course, understood the extent of Wang Qixiong's arrogance.

Which of the Empress Dowager's in-laws isn't arrogant and overbearing?

There's no other reason than that the courage they gained over the years was entirely due to the support and protection provided by the Empress Dowager!
Otherwise, they would have all been keeping a low profile long ago.

"No one can kill me!"

"If you know what's good for you, release me now, and I might spare your life."

Wang Qixiong looked at the victim beside him and said, "When I get out of here, I'll kill you all, leave no one alive."

Such threatening words caused the witnesses to cover their faces, clearly frightened.

Who would dare to provoke a top-level powerful figure like him if they had no power or influence?

The Empress Dowager has been disregarding the laws of the Song Dynasty for more than a year or two; otherwise, she wouldn't have spoiled them so much.

Song Xuan slammed the gavel: "Left and right."

"exist."

“This thug dares to roar in the courtroom and intimidate witnesses and victims. Give him twenty lashes first, and we’ll see if he’s tough on the mouth or tough on the back.”

As the sticks were thrown down.

Naturally, some constables stepped forward and restrained Wang Qixiong.

They didn't care about powerful or wealthy people; as long as it was an order from Master Song, they would carry it out.

Even if the sky falls, there's Lord Song to hold it up for them, what's there to be afraid of!

popping.

Two blows with the stick made Wang Qixiong scream and howl like a banshee.

Three blows shattered his arrogant and condescending spirit, and he shouted, "My lord, I confess!"

Please don't hit them.

Song Xuan remained unmoved. He loved people like this who were stubborn, who couldn't distinguish between kings and queens even when facing death, and who tried to threaten others.

"Stop crying. I was just treating you the way you like to treat the people of my Great Song Dynasty. Why can't you stand it?"

Hearing Song Xuan's sarcasm, Wang Qixiong wanted to curse, but the pain stopped him immediately.

Now tears, snot, and urine really came out all at once.

popping.

With one blow, Wang Qixiong's buttocks were bruised and battered.

Liu Congde couldn't bear to watch, so he took out a fan to cover his eyes.

Ding Dalang obediently signed the document, because the Wang family not only had to pay with their lives, but also with money, and wrote down things like funeral expenses and subsequent compensation.

When it came to Wang Qixiong, he was in so much pain that he fainted, but was woken up by being splashed with water.

Make him sign and put his fingerprint on it.

Despite the excruciating pain, Wang Qixiong signed and sealed the document.

He never imagined that he would call out the words "the Empress Dowager's relative by marriage".

Will it work or not!

Not to mention that Liu Congde was used as a shield.

He didn't hesitate to hit this guy named Song Xuan in front of him.

After Song Xuan saw that they had all signed and sealed their documents, he also affixed his own seal. In order to avoid overturning the case, he had Wang Qixiong sign five copies.

This gives us something to discuss.

He also needed to submit a memorial to the emperor requesting that someone be executed.

After all, sentencing someone to death requires verification and is a matter that the imperial court takes very seriously.

In the event of a general amnesty, such people are likely to have their crimes reduced, especially if they have connections.

"Take him away and keep him under close guard in a single cell."

"Here."

Following Song Xuan's instructions, the two men supported Wang Qixiong, who was unable to walk, and he saw Liu Congde below the hall.

"Brother-in-law!"

"Brother-in-law, you're here."

"help me!"

"Help me! Kill that guy surnamed Song!"

"Go find the matriarch."

Liu Congde removed his brother-in-law's hand from his arm; he truly couldn't do anything about it.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law!"

"You absolutely have to save me!"

"Brother-in-law."

Wang Qixiong shouted persistently.

Because he discovered that his usually arrogant brother-in-law didn't dare to utter a single word in front of Song Xuan.

This truly terrified him.

Even after being beaten and forced to sign a document, Wang Qixiong didn't think he was going to die.

Deep down, he was still thinking that once he got out, he would definitely take revenge a thousand times over.

Whether it's Song Xuan or anyone else who dares to accuse him, they all have to die!

However, his own brother-in-law, whom he had witnessed the entire event from below the hall, remained completely silent and did not even attempt to stop him.

Would I even have a chance to survive?
Song Xuan stepped down and looked at the witnesses:

“These days you have all been working for me. Anyone who dares to cause you trouble is causing trouble for me, Song Xuan.”

"Thank you, sir."

"Thank you, sir."

Ding Dalang's tears flowed instantly; he hadn't expected the outcome to be so favorable to him.

"Heaven has eyes!"

(End of this chapter)